Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-01-13
NATURAL GAS.

That the natural gas supply is inex
| haustible is strange confession for ,
/ Pittsburger to make. Yet Professo,
Charles A. Ashburner, the well-k knew
geologist, unhesitatingly admitted this ~
your correspondent day Geoloeist,
agree on this point. Professor LesIs
state geologist of Penn sylyhnia. rece,s-
said; ut is a temporary aud vanisbin!
phenomenon-one which young men VIZ
live to see come to a natural end
There is also no doubt that ~.
end is being fastened by excess;vs
drilling in all directions by mart
who have no gas mains, but les,,
and drill as matter of snecr1.
ton, wasting the gas if successful
until satisfactory sale can be forcaS
Professor Ashburners sincerity when /.
made the above statement cannot h
doubted. If biologists theories shons
prove incorrect he will not be disannoin.
ed. He Is connected with the Safety An
pliance company, an offshot of the Phil
deiphia Natural Gas company. Professo
Ashburner provides an antidote for an,
alarm that may be felt here howeye,
That is, the manufacture of gas to sape,
cede the natural, when it shall have cease
flowing in paying quantities.
Experiments to this end are being con
Quoted, and it is said have been success.
fyl to such a degree that the new fuel ii
ever needed, will be cheaper here than
coal. That is all it was intended to AZ
cemplish by natural gas. If true. "A
change will bring no dire results. The
writer repeated Professor Ashburnerss
remarks to John K. Mckinley, secretary
of the Philadelphia Gas company.
professor Ashburner is correct" said
Mr.. Mckinley, but we are not at all alarm
ed. The gas supply, if properly utilized
is ample to meet the demands for mauy
years. Our company has leased $1,000
acres of natural gas territory, yet has de-
veloped only 1000. We have spent large
sums of money to prevent waste at wells
whose supply is not at present utilized
and have endeavored to persuade Other
companies to do likewise"
Eastern papers recently .slblished the
! sensational and to the readers, alarming
| statement that a hundred Eastern manu-.
! featuring firms, who were unable TO com.
pete with Pittsburg rivals using the new
fuel, had resolved to remove their plants
to the late "Snoky City, simultaneous.
ly with this exodus Pittsburg was prom.
| ised large accession to its population
in the thousands upon thousands Of
workmen who would follow their mas
tiers. Pittsber's business and real estate
men who may have read this state
ment undoubtedly chuckled over the
| prospect of increased business and big
profits as the result. When asked to give
the number of outside firms which have
on account of the cheap fuel actually re-
moved their plants to Pittsburg and vi
entity, Mr.. Mckinley said:
81 can think of but four. There are
the st. Louis Specially company and the
Harrison Wire company, whose works are
located along the Pennsylvania railroad
just outside the city limits. They are
identically the same company. and re.
moved their machinery from st. Louis
Lieutenant Filth, son-in-law of General
Sherman, is interested in both companies
Three or four hundred men are employ
ed. There is also the National Parafine
works, which were removed from Cleye-
land, and Crane Bros. Pipe works from
Chicago. This latter company is quite
an extensive concern, employing between
500 and 600 men. 1t is known as the
Pittsburg Tube company"
"Are any outside firms arranging for
the removal of their plants to this citygn
Hardly day passes but we receive re-
quests from firms, principally in the vi
cinity of Philadelphia and in the states OF
New York and New Jersey for informa-
ton about natural gas, as cost, desirable
locations, prices of real estate, etc. We
have even been visited by the agents of a
dozen English manufacturing firms, who
are thinking seriously of establishing
American branches here or removing to
this city their American houses already
opened.
Personal requests for information are
always gratified, but many by mail
through pressure of business, we are com
PEELED TO neglect. Outside patronage is
not needed just now, and it taxes all our
energies TO supply home demands. When
that has been attended To we can negO.
tiate with the manufacturers of less IA
vored cities. The growth of the city, in
Guiding the resumption of the factories,
and the building of new ones, should sat
lsfy the most patriotic Pittsburger, add
tions from other cities not being even
considered. The preventative of steel
manufacturing firm in New York state re
turned east day or two ago after an ia.
vestigation into the working of natural
gas, which extended over ten days. can.
not reveal the name of the firm, but it is
very old and influential, employing at
least 1000 men. In negotiating with out
side firms, it is stipulated that until actual
removal takes place no names are ia
be given to the press. The agent of the
steel firm secured an option on two acres
of ground and has returned to consult
with his partners.
II believe that Philadelphia company
has purchased piece of property at the
south end of the Smithfeld street bridge
and just opposite the Pittsburg and Lake
Erie depot, and will remove its plant TO
that locality. Disston & Co., the saw
manufacturers of Philadel phia, have, ae-
cording to the newspaper reports, con
temPlated removal to this city for
many months. They are quoted as hav-
ing purchased plats Of land in various
localities, but / have heard nothing